BOND BUSINESS REVIEW
- The
#162
Insid
Cash is (still) king
e Sc o p e-
Trump, Brexit & The Sex Pistols: F**K THE ESTABLISHMENT VULTURE FUNDS
10 Hours as a woman DELOITTE'D TO HAVE A GRAD JOB
editor's note Sometimes we glance at the cover of a book or the outside of a person and develop a perspective that might be completely different to what's on the inside. This edition hopes to entertain the inverse perspective; our writers are all well versed on their chosen stories, and through this edition they aim to give voice to what really happens behind closed doors. As always, this publication would not be possible without the efforts of our writers and editors. The BSA extends our immense thanks for their continued commitment and standard of work. Publisher: Bond Business Students’ Association Editor in Chief: Rebecca Gillingham Editor at Large: Jeremy Butcher Inquiries: BSA@student.bond.edu.au Future Advertising: amelia.esau@student.bond.edu.au
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INSIDE 4
Executive Report
18 THE NANNY DIARIES
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Cash is (still) KING
22 Friends of Finance
8 Trump, Brexit & The Sex Pistols: F**K THE ESTABLISHMENT
24 Corporate culture 26 10 Hours as a woman
10 Vulture Funds
28 CLJ MEDIA
14 PALAVER
30 The inside Scoop
16 DELOITTE'D TO HAVE A GRAD JOB
32 Pokemon Go 3
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Executive Report The BSA has regained its position as one of the most important student bodies on campus: academically, socially and financially. The committee, and by extension, the Bond student body, has effectively helped the BSA into financial health. As a result of Palaver, Semester Survival Kits and the BBR in 161, the BSA built a firm foundation for proactive profit-earning and student-engaging activities. Palaver, the Business School's flagship event, was carefully considered for 162 as the committee brainstormed to capitalise on the success of Palaver 161. An important consideration was that student's spent $150 on Law Ball in week 2, and might be reluctant to purchase expensive tickets. For the first time, the BSA granted the sale of two ticket packages: an experience ticket that gave students entry to Palaver and the VIP ticket which grants the ‘traditional’ Palaver experience complete with drinks package. The avenue opened by offering budget and premium options was exceptional and the BSA was able to more than double the profits of Palaver 161. Looking forward to the remainder of our term in 163, the BSA is thriving. This has come about through good practice within the committee, creativity in offerings to students and high allocations granted by BUSA. We extend our personal thanks to Bond students for engaging with Palaver 162 and invite them to watch this space for more BSA initiatives.
JOSH LANE & CHRISTIAN WHITFIELD PRESIDENT & TREASURER, BSA
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cash is (still)
KING
By Christian Whitfield
A QUICK HISTORY OF HOW WE TRANSACT: • The old trading economy where 5 bundles of wheat would get you an iPhone in downtown Istanbul • The cash era where you could throw three pineapples on Makybe Diva and walk away with a handful of watermelons (?) • Our fixation with plastic: We put all of our money on little cards. “Cheque, savings or credit?” “F****d if I know” • Finally, whether it be your flash new Galaxy S5 or simply your Qantas Platinum Frequent Flyer VISA card (yes, Bondies, I’m looking at you), the contactless payment system takes all the thought out of the purchasing system1 6
walking out of the store having paid, has been cut to
CASH CASH CASH CASH
near zero. We have totally changed how we transact.
I am pro-banks, please do not empty your savings
Time is money. The consumer discretionary industry has become so obsessed with capitalising on impulse purchasing that the time taken from deciding which
Mimco clutch you’re going to buy (who are we kidding, every white girl and their dog has the same one) and
IS IS IS IS
SEXY. REAL. CHEEKY. FUN.
accounts and hold cash under your bed,3 but why not What is it about the purchasing process that we find go to the ATM and grab enough money for the week. so hard? Is it the simple strenuous mental arithmetic It continues to confuse me as to why students, out of you have to do at the counter of H&M trying to work all demographics, don’t choose to carry and use cash. out how much you need for that $79.99 jacket and e.g. don’t bother with the $20 pre-set at the petrol the $19.99 belt, while the more you stress, the more pump. Switch on, have a go and pump that petrol agitated the 84 people behind you become?2 Or all the way up to $20.02 and BOOM, free petrol. You maybe being divorced from the act of understanding have the chance to save 2c on every transaction you exactly how much is coming out of our wallet helps us ever do, over a lifetime, this could save you $10s of rationalise that fourth piece of sushi.
dollars (you’re welcome).
In any case, we are completely obsessed with getting Transaction costs, credit card fraud, ‘cash only’ fish in and out of the transaction space. But call me old and chips stores and 2c opportunity costs are just fashioned, I am putting out a call-to-action for the some of the many reasons we need to make cash a return of cash. As far as we all may think, cash is bigger part of our lives. Whether it’s a naughty tax falling by the wayside, but much to the cheers of small write-off or just a ploy to flash your wealth (Ralph businesses and the jeers of the Australian Taxation Laurens have had their day), cash is here to stay. You Office, cash is still king.
can take that straight to the bank.
______________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Please stop asking if it’s okay to use paypass when I have clearly just handed you my card for a $2.70 McDonald's drive thru. Just tap it please Karen, no receipt required. 2 HINT: $100 should do it. 3 Inflation and stuff.
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Trump, Brexit and the Sex Pistols:
F**k the Establishment Picking up the paper, scrolling through Facebook or switching on the TV in the last few months, you’d be hard pressed to go 10 minutes without seeing some expert somewhere being shocked about something. Whether it is economists being shocked by Britain’s choice to leave the European Union, political pundits shocked that Trump has won yet more delegates or fans shocked that Iceland knocked England out of the Euros- it is undeniable that there is a wave of surprise results crashing across the globe. Although football upsets can be put down to a pandemic of English under performance, a spud of a manager and a solid Icelandic strike force, political ‘upsets’ are becoming more and more prevalent, and experts are so often wrong they are starting to ask the question: “What are we not getting?”. Dust-off your record players, go digging for ‘Never mind the Bollocks’ by the Sex Pistols and give it a spin. Once you water down some of the expletives, you will find that the sentiment the experts are not hearing being screamed by society, as they did in the 70’s: F**k the establishment. Politicians, bankers, big business and ‘the 1%’, the people have decided that they are sick of the way the system 8
works. Regardless of the validity of the movement, it is undeniable that some issues have been caught in the political crossfire. The most recent example of this public sentiment is the recent ‘Brexit’ result following from the British Referendum. Crash course: a few years ago the British parliament wasn’t getting anything done because they were spending too much time dealing with calls for Britain to leave the EU and fly solo, so Prime Minister Cameron said “fine, we’ll put it to national vote in a couple of years, so can you all just stop being donkeys until then so we can do stuff?”. It was a gamble, but Cameron knew the consequences of leaving were bad and that a Brexit was illogical, so he figured it was a safe, $1.10 bet. Fast forward to the vote, and he was half right. The consequences of leaving were high, almost every economist was saying that a Brexit was a terrible idea and that leaving was bad for the country and that, broadly speaking, it wasn’t logical. On the leave side of the debate there were campaigns around stemming migration, playing on British nationalism and fears surrounding terrorism. Looking at the facts and figures, it should have been a no-brainer stay vote. But, because of the dissatisfaction with ‘the establishment’, many people ignored or distrusted the experts’ opinions.
The financial markets had put the odds of a Brexit below 20% the day before the vote, and the betting agencies echoed the same, with the odds hitting a low of 15%. Then the results came through and the people had decided that, contrary to the establishment’s recommendation and preference, they wanted to leave the EU. Looking across the Atlantic the same discontent is clear on both sides of the political spectrum. The presumptive republican nominee Trump trumped (lol) competition with a hard-line, antiestablishment message. Playing on Hillary’s largely normal establishment-esque image, he has outlined his focus on reigning in Congress, Wall St and immigration in an attempt to appeal to American anger with the established political and financial system. The results speak for themselves, and his approach, albeit extreme, has garnered strong national support. Former Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders adopted a similarly anti-establishment stance, promising to break up the banks and alter the taxation system to benefit to the 99% at the detriment of the 1%. Although he has backed out of the race and endorsed Hillary, the fact that a 70 year old socialist from Vermont could genuinely
challenge a candidate as strong on paper as Hillary is a testament to the way the people are swaying. Politics is something that each and everyone of us is entitled and encouraged to have an opinion on. My point isn’t that one view or the other is right or wrong, more so that it is undeniable at this point that there is a strong undercurrent of growing discontent with the current system from people who feel left behind by globalisation and underrepresented by modern politics. Maybe the Brexit decision will be prosperous in the long-term, maybe not, but what is concrete is that it was a result that was immensely surprising and shows a willingness of the people to vote emotionally or for the ‘greater democratic good’ rather than strictly following figures, economic outlook and experts. Be aware that opinion and conventional odds may not be as reliable as they once were, and to expect the unexpected. Watch the US Election closely; after all, the odds that Trump will win the election are higher than the odds for a Brexit were.
JOSH LANE THE SEX PISTOL
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VUL FU The Milhouse Van Houten of Sovereign Debt Markets
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URE UNDS
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Milhouse Van Houten is the archetypal dweeb. His pursuit of Lisa is almost as pathetic as his redrimmed specs and the only thing remarkable about his friendship group is its existence. However, can you imagine the Simpsons without Milhouse? It doesn’t really work, does it? Nelson’s ‘ha-has’ would be without a victim, Bart would be as lonely as an actuary at a party and Lisa’s sole admirer may just be Ralph. It may be argued that the same is true of vulture funds. Depending on whom you ask, vulture funds are either a major impediment to a sovereign debt restructuring or a necessary evil in the market that allows illiquid economies to fund their nationbuilding pursuits.
Since the latter part of the 20th century, developing countries have sought to raise the funds needed to engage in critical infrastructure projects or implement vital economic reforms by issuing sovereign bonds. These tradeable bonds are debt securities issued by the government and bought by investors on a secondary market, entitling them to interest on the amount invested. These bonds emerged as a response to the interest rate hikes of the 1980s, which made commercial loans from banks an unsustainable source of liquidity for developing nations. While this may sound great, there are times a sovereign state is unable to pay the interest owing on its issued bonds, resulting in chaos worse than the Duff Corporation’s attempt to move the mighty Springfield Isotopes to Albuquerque.
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Sovereign debt defaults may occur for any number of reasons, and it presents bondholders with a prisoner’s dilemma. As the state tries to restructure its debt, it is in the collective interest of all bondholders for the restructuring process to run efficiently, and if this occurs they are all likely to reclaim at least some of their investment from the debtor state. However as a bondholder there is an overwhelming individual interest in running to court or the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes to obtain a judgment in your favour ordering the debtor state to pay you the full amount owed, avoiding the need to take a haircut on your entitlements. The issue is that this then handicaps the state’s attempts to pay back as much as possible to all other bondholders in an equitable way, and delays the debt restructuring process while judicial proceedings are underway. "...there are times a sovereign state is unable to pay the interest owing on its issued bonds, resulting in chaos worse than the Duff Corporation’s attempt to move the mighty Springfield Isotopes to Albuquerque." This is where the vulture fund comes in, almost as graceful as Milhouse’s attempts to seduce Lisa. When it seems a state may have to default on its sovereign bonds, a vulture fund swoops in to buy up as many of its sovereign bonds as possible in order to amass a holding large enough to warrant flying to the most amenable judicial body to seek an order mandating payment of the full amount owed. The issues here are huge: a country poor enough to require undergoing a restructuring of its debt may have an impoverished population, insufficient funds to provide the necessaries of life to those who cannot do so for themselves and systemic economic issues. The morality, or lack thereof, in seeking to profit from a country’s inability to adequately provide for
its population has led to a largely negative view of vulture funds. Such is the hatred towards them that Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, made reference to the ‘perversity’ of private creditors benefiting from the poor fortunes of a developing country’s struggling population when speaking at the UN in 2002. But, much like how for all his faults you still love Milhouse, it may be argued that vulture funds provide a necessary, and potentially vital, service to international financial markets. By buying up sovereign debt at the very time that most creditors are seeking to rid themselves of their potentially worthless bonds, proponents of vulture funds argue that they are providing a valuable service in reducing
the risk of investing in a country’s development. When investors are aware that there will be a ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card if a country’s economy goes belly-up, they are more likely to purchase sovereign bonds than if their fortunes are solely tied to that of the developing country. Further, this reduced risk may lower the interest the state has to pay to attract investors, providing cheaper access to larger amounts of capital with the trade-off that in the event they are unable to repay the debt, they will be faced with numerous lawsuits seeking to enforce the state’s obligations. In a capitalist system this may be seen as the only just outcome – a country that has taken on debt must be made to repay the debt, and the vulture fund is merely operating in its own self-interest within the confines of the law. "...it may be argued that vulture funds provide a necessary, and potentially vital, service to international financial markets." In ultimate Milhouse fashion, this article won’t draw a conclusion as to which side of the argument is more persuasive. Vulture funds play a controversial yet potentially vital role in sovereign debt markets. The slow development of international laws on sovereign defaults has allowed vulture funds to thrive, feeding of jurisdictional inconsistencies and a lack of political consensus as to how to deal with them. But in the meantime, love them or hate them, they’re here to stay.
Everything’s coming up Milhouse.
LACHLAN HOPWOOD _________________________________________________
For more information on vulture funds, have a look at Devi Sookun, Stop Vulture Fund Lawsuits: A Handbook (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2010) – the source of anything somewhat serious in this article.
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Palaver 162: Empire State 14
of Mind 15
DELOITTE'D TO HAVE A GRAD JOB
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MELODY MCALLISTER AGE: 21 STUDYING: Bachelor of Business (Marketing) & Commerce (Finance) What grad job did you just land? As of March 2017 I will be working as a Strategy and Operations consulting graduate for Deloitte in their Melbourne office.
"absolutely
deloitte'd"
How many grad jobs did you apply for? About 10 in total, good to keep your options open! How did you find the process of getting into Deloitte? Throughout the process I built great rapport with my grad recruiter who really went out of his way to make sure I was as informed as possible about what was ahead of me. This was a great help in making the process much less daunting. In terms of the assessment process, I think the best way to describe it is character building! There were 5 stages to progress through before receiving the final offer. As you would expect, they really take you out of your comfort zone and push you to show them why you’re the best candidate for the position. Maintaining confidence in your ability can be half the battle through a rigorous process like this, but as someone told me, if they didn’t think you were capable of succeeding you wouldn’t be there. What made you want to work for Deloitte? Initially the standout reputation of the Deloitte graduate program combined with conversations with successful grads about their experience were the major factors in me applying. Throughout the process I became more familiar with the company’s culture and grad development opportunities, which made me even more excited about the prospect of working for Deloitte. Do you have any tips for people interested in applying? #1 - Remember they are hiring a person, not a resume. A great transcript, extra curricular involvement and work experience are essential to show your technical suitability for the role. Beyond this though, the recruiters need to be able to see your character and personality to assess your fit for the team and their culture. People skills are just as important as great marks and practical experience,
especially in consulting roles. As one interviewer said to me, they always do a ‘Qantas club test’ when it comes to choosing the ideal candidates. If the prospect of sitting for 3 hours in an airport lounge with the person seems awkward and hard work, then the likelihood of wanting to work with them day in and day out seems slim… makes a lot of sense when you think about it! #2 - Ask Questions & Be Inquisitive! They want people to make the effort to engage with the team members who they invite in specifically for you to chat with. This helps build rapport with your potential future colleagues and also helps you to see if the company is a good fit for you. #3 - Do some research. Give yourself the best chance of doing well. Knowing what makes the company tick - for example, Deloitte’s 7 signals gives you a few things up your sleeve that you can refer to throughout the application process to catch the eye of the assessors.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 5 years I see myself as an established member of the Deloitte Strategy and Operations consulting group. I’d like to have explored the possibility of working abroad and have developed great professional connections and networks with colleagues and clients. I’m also excited about the prospect of establishing a specialisation or gaining expertise in a particular area of S&O consulting. I’m absolutely over the moon to have been given this opportunity and really believe the most valuable lesson from the whole process was just how important it is to be confident in your ability and to back yourself. 17
THE
NANNY DIARIES We're not in NYC anymore - move over Scarlett Johannson. Instead of pushing prams in Central Park, these two GC locals have taken up au pair roles in London and Berlin. Take a little trip down Notting Hill and they might be found running into Victoria Beckham as they wait for pick up time, or maybe on a family trip to Russia for the weekend. Rest assured, this diary is better than any Chris Evans and Scarlett Johannson love story.
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SAMANTHA WILSON, 20 BASED IN: Berlin Can you roughly outline what you had done prior to becoming an au pair? After high school I decided to defer my university course, take time off, travel and work. In the first year I did my own solo trips and then I got a phone call for an opportunity to be an au pair from my cousin who had kept in contact with the family she used to work for. So I thought, why not? Did you go through an organisation? No, because my arrangement was organised privately I didn’t have to jump through all the hoops and was able to come over on just a standard working holiday visa. How was the family? The family was wonderful! I was working for two professional pianists so they worked from home. Their equivalent of an office was a large room with two gorgeous grand piano’s. I was looking after a 5 year old boy who attended kindergarten throughout the week. Because they worked from home I was never really alone with the child so there wasn’t much stress, we all did our little part to help each other out. Was the family around very much? Yes they were. My base was in Berlin where we lived, but because they performed all over the world in these briliant performance halls, we traveled a lot and then would return back to base. I was never really alone with the child except for one occasion where they went to America for two weeks and I took care of him. Have you met many au pairs? Tonnes! You wouldn’t think it but Berlin was a little hub for au pairs and they would have little meet ups. There were hundreds of them from all over the world. And yes I did come across a decent number of male au pairs! A day in the life, what was it like? Wake up, get my kid ready for kindergarten, get him dressed, have breakfast and then walk to kindergarten through the funky cobblestone streets. Then I'd have a few hours to myself before I would pick him up around 2pm. From here we'd do something fun before returning home. We went to Lego Land, the park, Build a Bear, aquariums the fun stuff. Then we'd head home and teach him
English and just spend time with him. Did you have to learn German? I didn’t, but most au pair’s do have to learn the language as it is sometimes a component of getting an au pair visa. I was actually living in a tri-ligual home as the parents spoke Hebrew as well as German and English. I picked a little up of course, but Berlin itself was a very multicultural area and most people spoke English. Did you get to do much traveling? They took me to Russia, Czech Republic and all over Germany. I also spent a lot of weekends travelling around Europe. How much time did you have to yourself? I would have the weekends free, so I would either spend it in Berlin or take a short weekend to travel. I had 1 month off at one stage when the family went to Australia (obviously I didn't want to go with them). How was the renumeration? I was paid monthly but it wasn't much. However, all my living expenses were covered (accommodation, food, travel expenses). The money wasn't enough to fund my personal travel, so I relied heavily on my savings. Perks and Downsides? Perks- Definitely being able to explore a city as a local. When my time was up I felt like I was leaving a second home. It was great to experience how a place is meant to be, instead of just passing through. Downsides- In a way, being an au pair is a restriction on your freedom. Depending on your age, I think its a great job for your early 20's, but its not exactly a job you can grow in professionally. How was the experience overall? Great but not something I think I would do again. While it was brilliant, after a year of helping a family run their lives, it feels like its time to run my own. Recommendations? I think its really important to outline your responsibilities at the very beginning with the parents. Not that I ever had any problems, I just think it will protect you from being taken advantage of if you know what you're in for from the beginning. 19
CAITY MURPHY, 23 BASED IN: Notting Hill, UK Prior to becoming an au pair, can you roughly outline what you’ve done in the last few years? Before moving to London to become a nanny, gymnastics coaching was definitely my passion. I taught children ranging from toddlers in mums and bubs classes right up to elite competitive gymnasts. I had also worked in childcare, working with kids from babies through to pre-school age. What made you interested in becoming a nanny? Well ultimately I have worked with children most of my life so becoming a nanny was a definite pathway for me to combine my love for kids and traveling. Did you go through an organisation? Yes. I found my family through the agency, KiwiOz Nannies. They are a London based agency that deal with Australian and New Zealand nannies.
How long will you be there for? Are you a live-in or live-out nanny? I am live out. I currently am signed to a 12 month contract with my employer however, I can see myself staying for at least 2 years. How has the experience been thus far & what’s the family like? So far my experiences have been amazing! My family are quite wealthy and are part of the "inner circle" of London's elite so I get to mingle with some famous people on a regular basis which is always fun. My employer treats me amazingly. We are more "friends" than employer and employee, so it works really well for the kids. She is in and out of the house all day so I am ultimately the sole carer for the kids, however, we work in more of a co-parenting kind of situation. Their father, her husband, unfortunately had a stroke three years ago and is therefore in a hospital-like-centre under constant care. The kids visit him often, but since they lack that father figure at home, it's really important for the kids that myself and their mum play both roles. What’s a typical day look like? Each day is different for me- I have three kids: Boy (11), Girl (9) and Boy (4). The older two are at school all day and the youngest does three half days at nursery (8:30-12) and two full days (8:303:30). I start at 12pm and pick up the youngest from nursery and take him to do something. On his full days I help the house keeper around the house until 3:30. Some days we go to lessons (swimming and tennis), then other days we visit his cousins or go somewhere fun. He loves the museums. Then we usually head home around 5pm after picking up his sister from school. After that, I put dinner on, bath the kids and put them to bed by 8pm, when I finish.
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Do you have to cook and clean? We have a house keeper with whom I get along with very well, so although she does ALOT of the cleaning, I help out where and when I can. I do cook and prepare meals for the family. How is the remuneration? The pay in the nannying industry over here is extremely good! And there are always opportunities to earn more through extra baby sitting. What are the perks and downsides? Oh the perks of being a nanny are endless... The people I have met, the places I have been and the constant love and appreciation I get in return is just phenomenal! Nannying does have some downsides with the biggest being that it's not a very social job compared to, for example, hospitality, where you are meeting new people all the time. Although you have play dates and things with other nannies you tend to only see the same faces so they ultimately become your closest friends.
Have you come across many other au pairs? In particular, male au pairs? My families previous nanny was male. They call them Mannies. What would you recommend to anyone interested in becoming an au pair? I would recommend doing your research and having loads of trials with families before you settle down. It's easy to get discouraged from the industry by one bad experience. It's all about finding the right fit between you and your family. Most importantly, trust your instincts! You will know exactly the right family when it comes along. It's a wonderful thing when you love your job so much it stops becoming work.
"We try to teach our children a little about life, however they are the ones teaching us what life is all about"
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OF FINANCE 22
With an ageing population and ever-changing economic landscape, the way we as millennials save and grow our wealth is more important than ever. Although a higher salary can absolutely increase wealth, more often than not it’s the decisions you make with the money you have and how you grow it across the asset classes that guarantees a comfortable retirement. Trying to decide what to do with your savings, can be scary, especially when all of the options sound foreign. Well fear not! I’m going to break the asset classes down in terms every self-respecting 90s child can understand: Friends characters.
FIXED INCOME (BONDS) – Gunther
You buy them, they give you a consistent sum of money every month (hence, ‘fixed’ income), and some give you a lump sum at the end as well. Why Gunther? Like ordering vanilla ice cream, very plain and boring, but a safe bet. Gunther has managed Central Perk for at least eleven seasons, he’s monotonous and un-adventurous, but he’s probably never going to have to stress about money troubles.
CASH – Joey
Literally just holding on to money, either in a shoebox under your bed, or in a basic savings account (with low-interest rates you’re barely earning any interest above inflation). Why Joey? Easy going, low maintenance and ready to go for anything, but despite how cool it is, really not the most intelligent thing to be doing.
SHARES – Monica
Some shares entitle you to a dividend (your share of the company profits), but most of the time you’re in it for the movement in share price and hope to sell it for more than you bought it for. Why Monica? It can all be going great, having a good, productive week, but then it can all go belly-up in an instant. You can lose your job, be back to square one and stress-baking your way back to happiness. Figuratively speaking.
EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) – Chandler
Sort of complex, but basically a portfolio of shares that someone who knows what they’re doing has built. Well diversified and a good way to invest in
the share market without having to figure out which shares to buy. Why Chandler? Good, stable income, no idea what they really do, but you’re pretty sure it’s lame. But at the end of the day, he’s making more money than the rest of the assets with the best bits of shares, so who’s really lame?
PROPERTY – Ross
Purchasing an investment property. Requires more capital for a deposit and you’ve got a mortgage hanging over your head, but the rent cash flow and eventual appreciation and sale can make it extremely lucrative. Why Ross? Paleontology is a long-term investment; there isn’t a whole lot of money in studying fossils until you get up the ranks in academia. But it’s pretty cool, and if you make it to the top it can be awesome, you’ve just got to lock yourself in for 20 years and miss out on some fun.
COMMODITIES – Rachel
Oil, wheat, gold and other raw materials. You can buy or sell commodities, but you’re really in it for the shortmedium term price movements and capital gains. Why Rachel? It’s a bold strategy Cotton. Kind of difficult to figure out, a whole lot volatility and surprises, but once you’ve settled into it you’ve actually got it quite nice.
OPTIONS & FUTURES – Phoebe
Where to begin. There isn’t really a way to put it all in a sentence, but effectively you agreed to buy something (shares, commodities, bonds etc.) at a point in time at a price you decide now. But they get really hairy, really quickly. Why Phoebe? No one has any idea what they’re on about. They’re weird and scary, but those few who get them, really get them. It’s a deep relationship, and if you poke fun and someone is around who loves them you better run, because they’re coming for you. Which combination of assets is for you is an entirely different question, but hopefully now you’re more aware of the options out there.
XOXO GOSSIP JOSH 23
charlotte robinson URBAN DICTIONARY Define "Culture": “some bullshit that corporations like to throw around to pretend not to be either evil or incompetent.�
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CORPORATE CULTURE When I started to write this article, I did what every great student does best – wrote down one word before closing the entire document never to be seen or heard from again. I joke. So I began researching workplace cultures, including Google’s renowned Zurich office with an inbuilt slide, Comvert in Milan, which endorses skating in their indoor skate bowl and Zappos, where you are offered $2000 to quit in the first week after training. But before I looked too deeply into these corporations, it was important to establish the definition of culture. The Oxford Dictionary defines culture as, “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.” This seemed pretty straight forward, but I thought it best to check with an incredibly reliable and not at all satirical source, the Urban Dictionary which, per usual, did not disappoint. Culture was defined as, “some bullshit that corporations like to throw around to pretend not to be either evil or incompetent.” So I was off to a good start, but surely transitioning from uni life to the workforce and adjusting to a new organisations culture isn’t all that bad? And the answer is no, it’s not. In fact, there are some rather interesting and intriguing organisations that have popped up in various parts of the globe. Google’s offices are built to generate creativity; their office in Zurich is home to a library and aquarium. But more importantly, they have a standing rule that no one is allowed to be more than 100 meters away from food at any given time. A rule that I personally believe more organisations should adopt. *sign petition here*
The welcoming and social lifestyle that Google’s offices promote is reflective of the company’s innovation and resourcefulness. This type of office philosophy is not limited to Google. Comvert is an alternative clothing brand with an indoor skate bowl. Yes you head correct, an indoor skate bowl. This allows employees to take some time-off mid-project, and what better way to relieve some stress than having a skate above your office? Finally, Zappos takes an interesting outlook on their employment process. They work to ensure every employee is instilled with ten core values and offer new employees $2000 to quit within the first two weeks of working for the organisation if they don’t feel it is right for them. This organisation, like many others, allocate portions of the budget to spend on team building activities and office politics is completely discarded when employee raises are granted. Workers are given skills tests and those who have demonstrated increased capability are rewarded with salary increases. Finally, Hospitality and Tourism and perhaps the odd Law/Med student I’m looking at you! Employees have rated organisation Walt Disney 4/5 stars for corporate culture, so at last you can live out your life long dream of dressing up as Shrek for a year while getting paid! So whether you’re looking for a corporate lifestyle or an organisation with a unique take on the stereotypical definition of culture, there are a number of companies that may be suited to you, and perhaps culture isn’t just some bullshit corporations like to throw around after all.
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It’s said walking in another person’s shoes is the best way to learn, and that the best time of your life to experiment is in university. So I turned from man to woman, Alex to Alexa – not for the true purpose of experimenting, just rather a good night out with my mates. Yet the Society and Design Gender Bender Party at Bond left me with an experience I will never forgo: an insight into what women go through every day. Guys, listen up this is for you. The night started with make-up: sitting in a chair without moving for 30 plus minutes, pulling weird faces and expressions in order to get my makeup just right. My female friend was applying the makeup and constantly telling me to stop talking – for those who know me, that’s a hard thing to do. But as I sat there silently, I began imagining having to do this myself and started to realise how much judgement women receive about how they do their make-up, even from guys like me. Next came the outfit: a revealing, bright pink dress from Ally Fashions, paired with black stockings, and caramel heels. I was relieved my friends bought the dress, saving me from having to walk into a shop to buy female garments. Let me tell you, it was not flattering or comfortable. I could not take a full breath, it restricted my body movements, and lastly it did not keep me warm.
Why do women do this to themselves? Why does society’s demand that their clothes be designed in this way? It’s now sad and embarrassing to admit, but I am one of those guys who stereotype women for the
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clothes they wear. But after going through, in part, what women experience every day, my opinion is changing and now I know why it takes women so long to get ready. The worst experience, by far, were the heels. The pain in the balls of my feet, both that night and the day after, the challenge of staying upright after a few drinks, and the soreness of my knees and ankles the next day. Stairs become harder and most flat surfaces are no longer your friend. Did I mention, it was an unusual yet amusing experience to be tall with a tight butt? The silver lining: Wearing heels is a serious calf workout – so if you miss leg day, put on your girlfriend’s heels and take the stairs. The transformation is then complete – I’ve got my high heels on, a perfectly made up face, dressed and jewelled to the max, with phone in my fake breasts. We’re about to head out the door, I grab my keys and my wallet, when I realise: hang on, no pockets! The girls, currently dressed as men, laugh and tell me “You need a handbag that you carry all night”. By this stage I knew that if I had a handbag, by 4am it would be long gone, so I did what any classy lass would do and placed my keys and wallet in my stockings. It worked, but I wouldn’t suggest doing it. Guys, next time your girl request pocket space for one of her items, just do it. Heading to the club, I was a little concerned for my friend’s safety as well as my own. What happens if other guys don’t dress up or don’t find it humorous? I could not fight in heels, one punch and I would be on my back. A position I certainly didn’t wish to
10 HOURS AS A WOM
practice at any point in the night, pun intended. But a credit to everyone there: they loved us. Daniela and Alexa were the stars of the night and men and women, bouncers and staff, all wanted photos. They were really curious on how we did it and what it was like. Yet as people became more intoxicated we found they began to objectify us. We were men dressed as women, but still they would slap our bums, or touch our fake boobs and ask if they were real. Is this what it was like for real women? I realised, this is what it is like. I treated it as humour when my friends were doing it, but that set the standard for those looking on to do the same. Guys think it’s funny; that they’re drunk and it doesn’t count.
I can guarantee you it does count and I woke up the next morning feeling somewhat violated. As the night went on I had found myself turning more into Alexa than Alex, losing my masculinity and embracing my virgin female form. My mate Daniela and I stuck together like true girl friends, using the bathroom, buying drinks, and taking selfies together. Writing this, makes me realise I miss my high on life, invincible female alter ego; she will be missed. The experience of three innocent men, transforming into three sexy ladies for the night, and seeing what life is like on the other side, is definitely a bucket list moment. Although I am happy being a man, dressed as a man, maybe the grass is not always greener on the other side.
ALEX PASQUALE
S MAN
Cassie Jacobs on starting her own business. We hear from fellow Bondie, Cassie Jacobs as she talks of her post- graduate job hunt and the decision that made her risk it all. What do I want to be when I grow up?
I can’t even tell you the number of times I was asked this question as a kid. My answer was always the same for a solid 12 years – I wanted to 100%, no questions asked, be a Journalist. I refused to even consider the possibility of anything else. Enter 2016 and I’m a University Graduate, I’ve moved out of home and I live off 2 minute noodles after paying my bills… so yeah, I’m officially a grown up. Want to go ahead and guess what I grew up to be? *Spoiler alert* I’m not a Journalist.
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Like I said, I started university with a clear goal in mind - to graduate and become a TV journalist. There was just one catch... I wasn’t enjoying the classes that related to it, and my internships at TV stations left me even more confused about it all. It took me a long time to realise that the reality of working as a Journalist was much different to how I had always imagined it would be. It was pretty crushing. Here I was, 12 years into this goal to be a Journalist and it was all falling apart around me. I had no idea what I wanted to do – this was the only thing I had ever considered! At this point I was very lost & confused.
Let me start at the beginning. I started Bond in 2013 as a bright eyed, bushy tailed fresher, enrolled in a Bachelor of Journalism and complete with all kinds of career goals I gushed about every chance I got.
During my final year of university, one of my teachers got me a part time job working as a Social Media Manager for a start-up company on the Gold Coast. This was a pretty big turning point for me, and I honestly owe her so much, as it was her class combined with this part-time job that made me find my passion again.
Even though I desperately wanted to be a Journalist, I found the degree wasn’t giving me everything I wanted. After a few semesters, I ended up switching to a Bachelor of Arts where I majored in Criminology and Journalism.
My role was to manage the social media accounts and create digital content, such as blogs and website landing pages. It wasn’t a career path I had ever considered before –to me it was always
shouldn’t I create one for myself? I weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to take the plunge and do it. I created CLJ Media, a Boutique Communications Agency specialising in Digital Content Production & Social Media Management. I’m now 3 months into work and I have a solid client list! I am honestly so overwhelmed by the positive response I have received. Each day bigger and bigger clients are contacting me! I’m almost at the point where I have to start seriously considering bringing on an employee to help, which is exciting as I would love to one day turn my small business into a fully fledged media company! Putting your heart and soul into a project can be super scary, because you’re risking everything if it fails, but I am a strong believer of living your life passionately.
I think the way to get the perfect work-life balance is to love what you do and to enjoy it. just a way to save up for my overseas adventures. Working in this role for just a few months taught me a lot. I suddenly understood that an integral part of business success right now was to have a solid social media presence. It’s a job that never existed a decade ago, but now was as common as being a lawyer or an accountant. After graduation I was half-heartedly looking for full-time work, but nothing really stood out to me. I was disheartened by the idea of being forced into work I wouldn’t love. I was so scared I would grow to hate the industry and lose my passion for writing. Finally, it got to the point where I really had to make a decision and just go for it. I sat down and got real with myself. What did I want to do with my life? I had always thrown around the idea of owning my own business, but had never seriously considered it until now. If I couldn’t find a job I loved, why
I might not be doing what I always thought I would – but I’m okay with that. My dreams and goals changed as I grew and became more aware of my passions and myself. My advice? Never stop growing! I’m no longer the same person who fantasised about being a Journalist. I’m now a different person, who spends her nights planning the future of her company. 10 years from now I’ll be a different person again, and I’ll probably have new goals and dreams. My point is that we shouldn’t limit ourselves and our potential. I don’t know what my future holds just yet, but I do know that I’m going to be open to whatever life decides to throw my way.
Contact: CLJMEDIASERVICES@GMAIL.COM Website: WWW.CLJMEDIA.COM.AU FB: CLJ MEDIA Insta: @CLJMEDIA 29
THE INSIDE SCOOP The definitive guide to the best ice cream on the Gold Coast
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#1 Gelato Messina
Hailing from Sydney, Messina has landed on the Gold Coast, more specifically in Coolangatta. Now it’s not just where the airport is, it’s home of Messina! Over 40 flavours including apple pie, mango salsa and pear and rhubarb. MUST TRY FLAVOUR: Salted Caramel with White Chocolate Chip WHERE: The Strand, Shop 33/72-80 Marine Parade GRAM: @gelatomessina
#2 The Gelato Shop
As the name suggests, this shop is completely devoted to the art of gelato and you will have a hard time narrowing it down to 1 or 2 flavours (or 3 if you are into triple scoop), if you can’t decide just get a takeaway container! Huge array of flavours including banoffee pie, caramelised fig and mascarpone and liquorice. MUST TRY FLAVOUR: Jam Doughnut WHERE: Shop 8, Aria Building, Corner of Surf Parade and Albert Avenue GRAM: @thegelatoshop
#3 Hevenya
If you can catch this amazing ice cream truck, you are blessed and should take the blessing as the opportunity to consume as much of the deliciousness as possible. Moonlighting at big
events on the Coast and Miami Marketta, follow them on instagram to keep up to date. MUST TRY FLAVOUR: Espresso Stracciatella WHERE: follow on the gram to find out where next GRAM: @hevenyah
#4 Quench
Zooming up to the Ferry Road markets is a wonderful indulgence after a long, lazy Sunday in the MLC. Quench will reward your efforts with delicious flavours such as lime, strawberry or raspberry sorbet. Fantastic juices and the like are also on offer. MUST TRY FLAVOUR: Pina Colada Sorbet WHERE: Ferry Road Markets, Southport GRAM: @quench_juice_bar
#5 Tuckshop Goods
Tucked (see what I did there) away at the Burleigh State School Farmers Markets, the crew at Tuckshop Goods scoop up delicious flavours such as coffee and coconut, salted butter and mint! Also do smoothies for those who think a 9am Saturday morning ice cream may be a bit much. MUST TRY FLAVOUR: Peanut Butter WHERE: Burleigh State School Farmers Markets, Saturday mornings GRAM: @tuckshopicecream
Amelia Esau
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Things that any budding trainer should know As a young 10 year old trainer beginning your journey into the Pokemon world, you are filled with excitement and awe. You don't know very much though. You're given very little support from Professor Willow, and from the start you're swimming in the deep end. Have no fear! I'm here to provide you with my top 4 tips to help you transition from a budding newbie to a Pokemon champion. 1. For the first 10-15 levels, catch everything that moves Title basically sums it up. You want all the exp and Pokemon candy you can get your hands on, so grab every last piece. Who knows what might happen, you could end up with a top percentage Rattata (Youngster Joey anyone?) or a Pidgeot to anchor your team. Plus, if you never played paper toss in your earlier years, this will give you much-needed practice for when they real challenges come around later. 2. There's no rush to compete in gym battles When you reach level 5, you'll be asked to choose your team. Regardless of whether it's Instinct (yellow), Mystic (blue) or Valor (red) - peace and love guys - if the gym looks jacked and your Pokemon look not so jacked, maybe come round next time. There's no rush, the gym isn't moving, 32
and there's plenty of Pokemon to catch instead. 3. Don't be stingy with your items Seriously. There's so many going around, particularly raspberries. I made that mistake, and I'm a few nice Pokemon down with a few too many raspberries in hand. Also, if you think you're going to be at a PokeStop for a while, throw down a lure! You'll attract people and you'll be the most popular one there. People absolutely flock to lures. It's actually nuts. 4. Chat to the people being antisocial on their phones around you People only go outside for the one reason now. Some may not appreciate being asked questions, but everyone I've run into has always given some kind advice. Whether it be a simple, "Did you catch the Scyther around the corner?" Or something more advanced like "Are you attacking my gym bro? You better not be." Whatever happens, get outside, make some new friends, walk some kilometres and hatch those eggs. Pokemon Go is doing as much as it can to counteract the introduction of McDonald's all day breakfast. And that's not easy.
OSCAR PRESTO
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